Tuesday Open Thread: African Americans in MotorSports

Today’s featured legends in the world of motorsports are Charles Wiggins and Wendell Scott.

Charles Wiggins was born and raised in Indianapolis, one of the hotbeds of American auto racing, but at the time – the 1920s – a city with a deeply-divided ethnic population. Despite the heavy presence of the Ku Klux Klan and racial barriers of the day, Wiggins was one of the first African-Americans to take a keen interest auto racing. Wiggins was a master mechanic who dreamed of some day running in the world famous but white-only “Indy 500.”

In 1924, a group of African-American business men, and civic leaders, led by William Rucker and two white businessmen, Oscar Shilling and Harry Earl, came together with the purpose of forming a racing league whereby men of color, which were barred from racing with their Caucasian counterparts, could participate in the sport of automobile racing. Thus, the Colored Speedway Association began.

On August 2, 1924, the first annual “Gold and Glory” sweepstakes was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. The sweepstakes was a 100-mile race with 28 of the best African-American drivers competing from all over the Midwest. The races quickly became popular and within five years, promoters from across the country had created a barnstorming tour called the “Gold and Glory” circuit with races in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dayton, Detroit, Fort Worth (Texas), and Los Angeles.

Wiggins was instrumental in the Gold and Glory evolution which attracted the attention of national news agencies as well as thousands of spectators coast to coast. Wiggins was a four-time champion on the sweepstakes, a distinction that earned him the title “the Negro Speed King.”

Charlie Wiggins after winning in 1926

One of Wiggins’ most harrowing experiences as a race car driver was in 1928 when he was driving the pre-race qualifying lap at the Kentucky Speedway in Louisville, Kentucky. A mob of white fans broke through the protective fence around the track to protest the inclusion of Wiggins in what was considered a “white only” racing venue. Police officers held back the mob and race officials ordered the Kentucky militia to arrest Wiggins for his own safety. The police quickly took Wiggins away and held him in a jail cell until nightfall, when he slipped out of town.

A horrific crash in 1936, in which Wiggins’ right leg had to be amputated, cut short his racing career. Although his injury caused intense pain throughout the rest of Wiggins’ life, he continued to train young mechanics and crusade for increased rights for African Americans in auto racing.

Auto racing historian Joe Freeman noted: “The fact that Charlie was able to overcome not only very obvious and clear racial prejudice, and not only to succeed in his business, but to succeed as an independent businessman, to rise certainly to the top of the black racing league, and eventually to advise some of the top racers in Indianapolis, he had to be a man who was very strong internally, and a heck of a guy.”

The next great name in the pantheon of black racing stars was Wendell Oliver Scott born in 1921.

Scott was one of the first African-Americans to thrive and win on the NASCAR circuit, and was the subject of the Richard Prior film “Greased Lightning.” And like Wiggins, Scott was subjected to intense prejudice, but persevered to become one of the stars of the oval track.

His first driving job was as a taxi driver. Later, he hauled illegal whiskey, an occupation that called for skills as both a high-performance mechanic and a fearless driver. Scott would go on to win 120 races in lower divisions and in 1959 won state championships in his classes. In 1961, he was able to pull together enough money to field a car on NASCAR’s top-level Grand National circuit, later renamed the Winston Cup series.

Scott raced in nearly 500 races in NASCAR’s top division from 1961 through the early 1970s. Racing on a shoestring, he finished in the top ten 147 times. On December 1, 1963, he won his only major race, a 100-mile event on a half-mile track in Jacksonville, Florida, but Scott was denied the opportunity to celebrate in victory circle. NASCAR officials said a scoring error was responsible for allowing another driver to accept the winner’s trophy. Scott doubted that explanation. “Everybody in the place knew I had won the race,” he said years later, “but the promoters and NASCAR officials didn’t want me out there kissing beauty queens or accepting awards.” (It would take 47 years for NASCAR to present him the trophy, though he had died by that time.)

In 1973, he suffered severe injuries in a race at Talladega, Alabama and only raced a few times afterward. Wendell Scott passed away in 1990, but his legacy hasn’t been forgotten.

Read more about Charles Wiggins and Wendell Scott and the trials of being black in the auto racing world, here.

In a statement Tuesday morning, Allen West congratulated Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy and said he won’t challenge Murphy’s narrow victory for the congressional District 18 seat.

“For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly,” West said in his concession statement. “While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.”

Oh dear, his sons betta come get their daddy and take him back to the house. Just sit him in a room and put the TV on the Retro Channel, give him some jello, dim the lights and just walk out slowly.

Alma98

He looks a hot mess, he’s taking it really hard. This is what happens when you have only yes men working for you.

MonieTalks

Well, Ann did warn us all about his mental state.

Hell, it looks like Tagg took some swings on him.

Go on to the Caymans and visit that money, Mitt. It’ll make you feel a teeny bit better.

nellcote

, Ann did warn us all about his mental state.
===
Much as I did not want to see the Rmoney’s anywhere near the WH, I feel a bit of pity for Miss Ann having to put up with this shit for the rest of her life.

conlakappa

She can use her hundreds of millions to comfort her. And a fancy-dancing horse or two.

nellcote

I’m just trying out that magnanimous in victory thing.

conlakappa

To quote Miss Ann herself, “Just stop it!”

jds09

And he’s in my neck of the woods (San Diego County), hopefully we’ll cross paths so I can give him the side eye.

MonieTalks

js09,

Please, if you see him, yell out “binders full of women,” followed by “gifts, gifts, gifts” and in your best Boris Johnson British accent say “some guy named Mitt Romney…”

jds09

I am a bit concerned about my knee jerk reaction. I hope the POU Fam will put some money on my account if I go to jail. I won’t need cigarettes (don’t smoke) but I would like some magazines. lol

TyrenM

I got 5 on it!

jds09

And he’s in my neck of the woods (San Diego County), hopefully we’ll cross paths so I can give him the side eye.

MsKitty

Looking a bit disheveled, eh?

Kennymack1971

Mitt looks like he just woke up from a nightmare where he kept hearing the words ‘Please proceed Governor’ over and over again.

Keep OFA separate! Don’t merge it into the DNC. PBO will become the most powerful ex-president ever. That’s why Bill had his back. He wanted to be on the correct side of the power shift. The ground continues to move under their feet. Poor poor Beltway. LOL

goldenstar

jds,

i think that you’re on it. clinton’s infrastructure is surpassed with by OFA. They have provided a demonstration of facts and data that results in the most decisive victory these folks have ever witnessed.

goldenstar

jds,

i think that you’re on it. clinton’s infrastructure is surpassed with by OFA. They have provided a demonstration of facts and data that results in the most decisive victory these folks have ever witnessed.

conlakappa

He’s doing more than musing about Dashboard and the fiscal cliff: hey are on it. Local folks have also been asked to do a community-service project together to maintain our ties with each other.

The fight between the financial industry and Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren heats up again over her possible nomination to the Senate banking committee.

—By Andy Kroll

| Mon Nov. 19, 2012 3:03 AM PST

Not even two weeks have passed since Democrat Elizabeth Warren rode a wave of grassroots support to victory in the US Senate race in Massachusetts, ousting Republican incumbent Scott Brown. Senator-elect Warren has not yet hired her staff. She has not yet moved into her Senate office. But the banking industry is already taking aim at her, scurrying to curb her future clout on Capitol Hill.

Lobbyists and trade groups for Wall Street and other major banking players are pressuring lawmakers to deny Warren a seat on the powerful Senate banking committee. With the impending departures of Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Democrats have two spots to fill on the committee before the 113th Congress gavels in next year. Warren has yet said whether she wants to serve on the committee. But she would be a natural: She’s a bankruptcy law expert, she served as Congress’ lead watchdog overseeing the $700 billion bank bailout from 2008 to 2010, and she conceived of and helped launch the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

But the big banks are not fans of Warren, and their representatives in Washington have her in their crosshairs. Aides to two senators on the banking committee tell Mother Jones the industry has already moved to block Warren from joining the committee, which is charged with drafting legislation regulating much of the financial industry. “Downtown”—shorthand for Washington’s lobbying corridor—”has been going nuts” to keep her off the committee, another Senate aide says.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), a banking committee member, has been angling to get Warren on the committee, “but there are many bank lobbyists pushing to keep her off,” a top Democratic Senate aide told Politico’s Morning Money tipsheet. But the aide added, “If she really wants banking, it will be very tough politically to keep her off.”

– – — Looks like it’s spin time for Paula Broadwell: David Petraeus’ biographer-with-benefits has hired a PR firm in the wake of the scandal, AdAge reports. Reuters calls the firm a “high-profile” one in Washington, boasting such consultants as former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers. The move comes after Jill Kelley, the woman to whom Broadwell allegedly sent threatening emails, hired a “crisis manager” and lawyer. And Kelley’s twin sister, Natalie Khawam, has now also hired her own high-profile attorney, none other than Gloria Allred, friend to scorned women everywhere.
THERE IS MORE. – – – -LOL – —

TRANSLATION: – -THEY EXCITED THAT HE IS THERE: :>) -Cambodian university students say they are very proud at the news that the U.S. President is visiting their country for the first time. President Barack Obama will arrive in Cambodia on Monday afternoon. He will attend the US-ASEAN summit and the East Asia Summit but does not have plan to speak to university students. If they have a chance, the university students who talked to VOA Khmer say they wanted to tell the US president that they would like to see Cambodia prosper like the US.

– —US President Barack Obama arrives in Cambodia for the Asean-US Meeting Monday.
The meetings come as Asean nations are displaying a rare show of unity against China’s sweeping maritime claim, calling for the first formal talks with Beijing over a sea duspute that has raised tensions and exposeed deep divisions in the region.President Obama meets with prime minister Hun Sen of Cambodia before the official Asean-US Meeting. Reuter, Phnom Penh.

It’s really a shame that the msm in this country doesn’t give a shit about Pacific rim countries. I think PBO is wise and visionary to reach out though he gets no credit in the US but I wonder if it had an impact on the rise in Asian American voters this month.

macademic

Hi nellcote,

This spring I watched a PBO address to an Asian American- Pacific Islanders group (elected reps, I think). It was soo clear that he was one of them; how he spoke, how at ease he was (jokes, talking like the Hawaiian he is) and most importantly, how serious he was about their issues and that part of the world.

This is so much of what makes Pres O so very extraordinary to me. It’s so much more than “code-switching”: he has so many dimensions to his identity and experiences, and as best I can tell, he really tries to honor *all* of his dimensions. Not for votes; for himself, for his family, and especially for the American families that are really touched by those dimensions.

And quiet as it’s kept, they *are* touched; people really *like* feeling repped for and–surprise! sHocKeR!!– they voted for that. Oh, and the other guy was a hateful lil prig.

Miranda

He does love him some spotlight, doesn’t he? LOL

Cory Booker to live a week on food stamps

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is set to live at least a week on food stamps after he challenged a self-described Army wife and veteran to join him in the test.

Booker tweeted that investing in “schools, nutrition, etc” would save money in the longrun instead of paying only for “huge back-end” government programs like prisons and police.

(sometimes I wonder if I’m being a little too hard on Mr. Booker. But then I recall his self-aggrandizing MTP appearance and say, nah, he has it coming.)

conlakappa

I’d argue you’re not being hard enough. Along with the political calculus he makes, I think Booker really is just a narcissist.

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

Miranda, can you please pass me an ice pack? My eyeballs are sore from rolling them so hard.

goldenstar

I soooo dislike this guy. Once he did that MTP shiv, I do not trust him and I have no empathy nor enthusiasm for him.

nellcote

I wish everybody in congress would do this. In 2009 a handful of new congresscritters tried living on foodstamps for a month and blogged about it. It was eye opening for them to say the least. One guy had invested in a large jar of peanut butter for a protein source and was absolutely traumatized when he couldn’t take it on an airplane!

It’s time for the US to put our foot down. Bibi is out of control. You know he and his American counter parts want to drag us into this horror.

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

PBO sent HRC to Israel to have a chat with Bibi and Palestian leaders. The UN secretary general is rolling up there, too.

Alma98

Good!

GN

This guy came to the US to interfere with our elections and beat the drums of war against Iran. I fail to understand how he enhances our lives in any way shape or form to deserve such designation as “your best ally” and “special ally.” What nonsense. He’s Israel’s Bush and Cheney, and they are foolish to have him in charge.

Alma98

I guess since Mitt didn’t win he had to pivot and find him another target.

GN

Isn’t it crazy?

QOakaJP

I’ve been following this news very nervously. I do not want us to get involved in another ME war. But I also do not want us to just sign off on these reckless attacks. IMO, The US needs to cut ties with Israel completely (money, military aid, etc) if they continue to promote genocidal rhetoric. Time to draw a clear line in the sand on what is and isn’t acceptable. USA should have no part in helping them start their own WWIII

QOakaJP

I’ve been following this news very nervously. I do not want us to get involved in another ME war. But I also do not want us to just sign off on these reckless attacks. IMO, The US needs to cut ties with Israel completely (money, military aid, etc) if they continue to promote genocidal rhetoric. Time to draw a clear line in the sand on what is and isn’t acceptable. USA should have no part in helping them start their own WWIII

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

I agree with you, but AIPAC has a strong hold on Congress.

Alma98

I agree with Sepia our congress beholden to special interest groups.

GN

Kids dead, eliminationist rhetoric, and now leaflets. This is completely psychotic.

– – -☻Despite the heavy presence of the Ku Klux Klan and racial barriers of the day, Wiggins was one of the first African-Americans to take a keen interest auto racing. Wiggins was a master mechanic who dreamed of some day running in the world famous but white-only “Indy 500.”
– —-☻Scott was one of the first African-Americans to thrive and win on the NASCAR circuit,

– – – -Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Tuesday a letter from nearly 100 House Republicans urging President Obama not to appoint Susan Rice as Secretary of State employed racially-charged “code words” to make its case.

The letter, signed by 97 House Republicans, says Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “is widely viewed as having either willfully or incompetently misled the American public in the Benghazi matter” — language Clyburn saw as racially loaded.

“You know, these are code words,” Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, told CNN. “We heard them during the campaign, during this recent campaign we heard Sen. Sununu calling our president lazy, incompetent, these kinds of terms that those of us, especially those of us who were grown and raised in the South, we would hear these little words and phrases all of our lives and we’d get insulted by them.

“Susan Rice is as competent as anybody you will find, and just to paste that word on her causes problems with people like [incoming Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman] Marcia Fudge and certainly cause a big problem with me,” he added.

In a press conference earlier this week, Fudge said she believed criticism of Rice contained “a clear… sexism and racism.”

“It is a shame that anytime something goes wrong, they pick on women and minorities,” Fudge added.

In a book titled Documenting Desegregation: Racial and Gender Segregation in Private-Sector Employment Since the Civil Rights Act, sociology professors Kevin Stainback of Purdue University and Donald Tomaskovic-Devey of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, report that efforts to desegregate the workplace since the passage of the Civil Rights Act has come to a halt in some sectors and, in others, has even taken a step backwards.

For African-Americans, Stainback says, the data indicates that the most rapid period of integration occurred in the late ’60s. But by the ’70s, he says, desegregation slowed somewhat; and, by the ’80s, there was no progress at all.

..To arrive at their findings, Stainback and Tomaskovic-Devey analyzed data collected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission between 1966 and 2005. Nearly 6 million private-sector workplaces were examined.

David Tulin, a diversity expert based in Wyncote, Pa., says the findings confirm something he’s long believed: That companies have made a lot less progress over the past four-plus decades than many people think.

If you are XYZ Corporation or ABC Govt Agency you are more likely to have black people working there than if you are Billy Bob’s Mom & Pop Shop…where most of the job openings are happening and they hire Billy Bob’s next door neighbor’s daughter.

nellcote

I wonder if he looked at the DoJ civil rights division and how active they were or weren’t in enforcing laws during various administrations.

“I’m not going to deny that I’m interested,” Paul told ABC News in an interview published on Tuesday.

A bid for the Republican nomination would continue a family tradition. Paul’s father, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), has repeatedly sought the party’s nomination. The elder Paul is retiring at the end of this congressional term.

Amen. Folks have little appreciation of the impacts on PBO’s policies. I attended a seminar held by a very large foundation that addresses health care in California. There was a panel consisting of medical professionals, community-based clinics and grassroots advocates that ALL marveled about how revolutionary ACA is, within the boring bureaucratic language is some serious change. PBO does some serious ninja shit.

http://oldhollywood.net/ woody45

My wife works at a health center and she said they are really excited at the changes that are happening. It’s a whole new ball game.

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

This is MAJOR news!

PBomb

I just want to know why this testing wasn’t commonplace to begin with?
This excellent news and will save a lot of lives.

It should make it easier for them to hit the 80% pay out rule. I’m sure they’re not happy to have to give rebates to customers.

Miranda

Clyburn: GOP letter criticizing Rice uses racial ‘code words’

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Tuesday a letter from nearly 100 House Republicans urging President Obama not to appoint Susan Rice as Secretary of State employed racially-charged “code words” to make its case.

The letter, signed by 97 House Republicans, says Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “is widely viewed as having either willfully or incompetently misled the American public in the Benghazi matter” — language Clyburn saw as racially loaded.

“You know, these are code words,” Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, told CNN. “We heard them during the campaign, during this recent campaign we heard Sen. Sununu calling our president lazy, incompetent, these kinds of terms that those of us, especially those of us who were grown and raised in the South, we would hear these little words and phrases all of our lives and we’d get insulted by them.

– – – -Rhythm and blues singer Billy Scott has died in North Carolina at age 70.

Bill Kopald with the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame said Scott died from pancreatic and liver cancer Saturday at his home in Charlotte.

Born Peter Pendleton in Huntington, W. Va., he sang with various groups while in the Army. After he was discharged in 1964, he changed his name and with his wife Barbara in 1966 began recording as The Prophets. Their first gold record was 1968′s “I Got The Fever.” Other hits included “California” and “Seaside Love” as the Georgia Prophets.

Down memory lane:
@root_e:
Remember when the firebaggers told us Obama/Geithner hated the CFPB and Warren and were sabotaging both?

rikyrah

Wisconsin’s Walker eyes new barriers to voting

By Steve Benen

–

Tue Nov 20, 2012 9:05 AM EST

After Republican policymakers nationwide imposed the most sweeping voting restrictions since the Jim Crow era, GOP officials saw the election results, realized that the restrictions didn’t produce the desired effect, and decided it’s time to end the “war on voting.”

No, I’m just kidding. Actually, some of the same officials who wanted new restrictions in advance of 2012 are now looking to expand the barriers between voters and their democracy in the future. Take developments in Wisconsin, for example.

Gov. Scott Walker has joined one of the Legislature’s most powerful Republicans in saying he’s considering ending the state’s same-day voter registration law, drawing quick criticism from leading Democrats, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

The idea was part of the agenda that Walker put forward Friday in an appearance before a sold-out crowd at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum near Los Angeles, a traditional venue for Republicans looking to run for president.

For nearly four decades, Wisconsin has allowed voters to register at their voting precinct on Election Day. The results have been terrific — the state has one of the highest voting rates in the nation. This year, voting rates in Milwaukee, for example, reached a stunning 87 percent.

Why would Wisconsin’s governor and leading state GOP lawmakers want to scale back a system that’s worked so well? According to Walker, the state has “poll workers who are wonderful volunteers, who work 13-hour days and who in most cases are retirees.” He added, “It’s difficult for them to handle the volume of people who come at the last minute. It’d be much better if registration was done in advance of election day. It’d be easier for our clerks to handle that.”

These are some tone-deaf zombie mofos. They are gonna need another ass whupping.

Alma98

He’s coming up for reelection and knows his ass is on the line. Remember Milwaukee voter turnout for the presidential election was higher than ever, 87%. If he thinks he going to keep us home he can forget it. If democratic organizations keep on the ball he’s outta here.

goldenstar

I am certain that there will be organizing for voter rights in this upcoming period of time. I’m in northern Chicago suburbs so my OFA members were in WI and calling WI a lot. It would be easy to deploy folks to our neighboring states.

rikyrah

Posted at 08:47 AM ET, 11/20/2012
Nov 20, 2012 01:47 PM EST

TheWashingtonPost
The Morning Plum: Left warns Dems not to cave on fiscal cliff
By Greg Sargent
So how far are Dems willing to go in making concessions on entitlements in the fiscal cliff talks? The general sense in liberal and labor circles is one of cautious optimism — tempered by an awareness that a cave is always possible.

A coalition of unions — SEIU, AFSCME, and the NEA — has released new ads today pressuring Dems not to give in to GOP demands for deep spending cuts. The ads — which target Dem senators Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and Mark Warner in their states — make the key point that the best way to reduce the deficit is to invest in job creation and grow the economy, and they demand that the senators protect Medicare, Medicaid and education. They insist that Dems “continue to stand up for us,” rather than cut “programs that families rely on most.”

This comes as some self-described “centrist” Democrats are already making noise about not necessarily supporting the Obama plan to raise taxes on the rich. And the centrist group Third Way, in a message intended to generate inside-the-Beltway chatter, released a new poll supposedly showing support for a bipartisan deficit “deal.”

What you’re really seeing here is a battle over the meaning of the election. Labor and liberals contend the message was clear: At a time of runaway inequality, the rich must sacrifice more to bring down the deficit; the American people do not want any change in the core mission of Medicare; and they continue to support a strong safety net and an expanded role for government in spurring growth and social mobility. After all, the election was a straight up clash of ideological visions over tax fairness, the proper scope of governmental involvement in the economy and in reducing inequality, and the question of whether we should preserve the social contract underlying the major progressive reforms of the 20th Century. One side won decisively — liberalism.

TheWashingtonPost
The Morning Plum: Left warns Dems not to cave on fiscal cliff
By Greg Sargent
So how far are Dems willing to go in making concessions on entitlements in the fiscal cliff talks? The general sense in liberal and labor circles is one of cautious optimism — tempered by an awareness that a cave is always possible.

A coalition of unions — SEIU, AFSCME, and the NEA — has released new ads today pressuring Dems not to give in to GOP demands for deep spending cuts. The ads — which target Dem senators Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and Mark Warner in their states — make the key point that the best way to reduce the deficit is to invest in job creation and grow the economy, and they demand that the senators protect Medicare, Medicaid and education. They insist that Dems “continue to stand up for us,” rather than cut “programs that families rely on most.”

This comes as some self-described “centrist” Democrats are already making noise about not necessarily supporting the Obama plan to raise taxes on the rich. And the centrist group Third Way, in a message intended to generate inside-the-Beltway chatter, released a new poll supposedly showing support for a bipartisan deficit “deal.”

What you’re really seeing here is a battle over the meaning of the election. Labor and liberals contend the message was clear: At a time of runaway inequality, the rich must sacrifice more to bring down the deficit; the American people do not want any change in the core mission of Medicare; and they continue to support a strong safety net and an expanded role for government in spurring growth and social mobility. After all, the election was a straight up clash of ideological visions over tax fairness, the proper scope of governmental involvement in the economy and in reducing inequality, and the question of whether we should preserve the social contract underlying the major progressive reforms of the 20th Century. One side won decisively — liberalism.

The Atlantic is reporting that the GOP is ready to accept tax increases, these groups need to stop this cave bullshit because as we can see, it feeds into the beltway nonsense. These ‘progressives’ need to be more self aware

conlakappa

Cave, a word I still hate. The current frame is that the emoprogs are holding the President’s feet to the fire/he is emboldened now. Courtland Milloy of all people had a column in yesterday’s WashPost about black barbers being happy that the President has “manned up.” I used to see Milloy on the streets from time to time. If I see him any time soon, he should hope I’m not wearing an snatch-you-bald-headed gloves.

Ebogan63

Milloy’s bald ass invented that isht about PBO ‘manning up’ f him.

GN

No. you. didn’t. just issue a “don’t let me catch you out on these hurr streets alert.” lmao!

conlakappa

Yes, I did! I have many issues with what he wrote, the least of which being its lack of veracity. Most sensitive, and definitely a point I could discuss with Courtland right after showing him my skrong hand, is that “man up” is an inherently heterosexist term. Courtland knew my gay cousin, who appeared at least twice on a black man show that Courtland had on BET. He has written before about his close-mindedness toward his gay brethren. I’d remind him that he really hasn’t changed his point of view and that evolution isn’t just about no longer being a [literal] knuckle walker. Am I really to believe that, unprompted, barbers were questioning the President’s manliness?

rikyrah

Posted at 11:43 AM ET, 11/20/2012
Nov 20, 2012 04:43 PM EST

TheWashingtonPost
Is White House prepared to go over fiscal cliff if necessary?
By Greg Sargent
Some leading liberals and Dems are hoping the White House — if the fiscal talks break down — will prove willing to let us all go over the fiscal cliff and let all the Bush tax cuts expire. That way Dems could return in 2013 and pass the tax cuts for those under $250,000 again — the Obama tax cuts for the middle class! — while leaving taxes on the rich at Clinton-era levels.

So it raised some eyebrows on the left when the Associated Press reported, almost in passing, that the White House regards this idea “frostily.” If true, this would be a big deal, because it would mean the White House is nixing one of its key endgame options.

On reflection, however, I’m not too worried about this — yet. Here’s why: If the White House were open to going over the fiscal cliff, it would be folly for it to signal it publicly. The White House needs to publicly suggest it isn’t really open to the idea.

If the White House publicly signaled openness to it, that would risk squandering its leverage. One key reason the White House has the advantage in this battle is that the election’s outcome — an endorsement of a mix of tax hikes and spending cuts — is putting pressure on Republicans to drop their opposition to tax increases, or be perceived as deaf to the will of the people. If the White House blithely declares it is ready to go over the cliff, that allows Republicans to argue that Obama isn’t serious about reaching a compromise, perhaps allowing them to evade some of the blame if we do go over it. The prospect of bearing that blame has to be weighing heavily on GOP leaders.

TheWashingtonPost
Is White House prepared to go over fiscal cliff if necessary?
By Greg Sargent
Some leading liberals and Dems are hoping the White House — if the fiscal talks break down — will prove willing to let us all go over the fiscal cliff and let all the Bush tax cuts expire. That way Dems could return in 2013 and pass the tax cuts for those under $250,000 again — the Obama tax cuts for the middle class! — while leaving taxes on the rich at Clinton-era levels.

So it raised some eyebrows on the left when the Associated Press reported, almost in passing, that the White House regards this idea “frostily.” If true, this would be a big deal, because it would mean the White House is nixing one of its key endgame options.

On reflection, however, I’m not too worried about this — yet. Here’s why: If the White House were open to going over the fiscal cliff, it would be folly for it to signal it publicly. The White House needs to publicly suggest it isn’t really open to the idea.

If the White House publicly signaled openness to it, that would risk squandering its leverage. One key reason the White House has the advantage in this battle is that the election’s outcome — an endorsement of a mix of tax hikes and spending cuts — is putting pressure on Republicans to drop their opposition to tax increases, or be perceived as deaf to the will of the people. If the White House blithely declares it is ready to go over the cliff, that allows Republicans to argue that Obama isn’t serious about reaching a compromise, perhaps allowing them to evade some of the blame if we do go over it. The prospect of bearing that blame has to be weighing heavily on GOP leaders.

Kevin Clash, the longtime voice and puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Elmo character, has resigned in the aftermath of allegations — which Sesame Workshop had previously said were unfounded — that he had an underage sexual relationship. In a statement released Tuesday, Sesame Workshop said:

Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street. This is a sad day for Sesame Street.

—————–

Word is another accuser is coming forward- asking for money- claiming he had underage sex with Clash in the early 1990’s.

MsKitty

SMH

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

I’m side-eyeing the hell outta the second accuser. Here’s their reason for coming forward:

As to why he hadn’t previously come forward, the accuser says he just recently became aware of “adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash’s sexual acts and conduct.”

…One day after Kevin Clash’s initial accuser, “struggling model” Sheldon Stephens, retracted his recantation and asked to have his $125,000 settlement undone, a second accuser has stepped into the limelight to claim that he too had a sexual relationship with the voice actor while still a minor.

The unnamed man is suing Clash in federal court, claiming the two met in 1993 on a gay phone chat line. Now in his 30s, the accuser says he was 15 at the time, and Clash was 17 years his senior.

[…] As to why he hadn’t previously come forward, the accuser says he just recently became aware of “adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash’s sexual acts and conduct.”

The lawsuit seeks over $5 million in damages.

UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting that Clash has just handed Sesame Street his two weeks notice. Sesame Workshop has released the following statement:

— —Intelligence officials told CNN that the intelligence community, not the White House, changed the now infamous Benghazi talking points given to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice before her appearance on several morning news shows in September. CNN quoted both the spokesperson for the Director of National Intelligence and an anonymous official “familiar with the drafting of the talking points.” The DNI spokesperson said that the only “substantive changes” came from the intelligence community and not the White House.

Former CIA Director David Petraeus told lawmakers in a closed door hearing last week that the CIA’s original assessment on the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack was that it was carried out by al Qaeda affiliated groups. But he reportedly said that analysis was later taken out after an interagency review in favor of a more general assessment that “extremists” carried out the attack to broaden the scope and not tip off terrorists to U.S. knowledge on the matter. And despite the fact that Petraeus said the CIA approved the change, Republicans, led by Republican senators John McCain (AZ), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Kelly Ayotte (NH), have accused the White House of stripping the language for political reasons.

But Shawn Turner, the spokesman for the Director of National Intelligence, told CNN that it wasn’t the White House’s decision:

“The intelligence community made substantive, analytical changes before the talking points were sent to government agency partners for their feedback. There were no substantive changes made to the talking points after they left the intelligence community.
THERE IS MORE.

I’d like to think most reasonable people can agree that casual discussion of secession is unsettling.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday that secession was a “deeply American principle,” amid a growing number of people petitioning the White House to let their states secede from the U.S.

“Secession is a deeply American principle. This country was born through secession. Some felt it was treasonous to secede from England, but those ‘traitors’ became our country’s greatest patriots,” the former presidential candidate wrote in a post on his House website. “There is nothing treasonous or unpatriotic about wanting a federal government that is more responsive to the people it represents.”

He continued: “If the possibility of secession is completely off the table there is nothing to stop the federal government from continuing to encroach on our liberties and no recourse for those who are sick and tired of it.”

– – – –President Obama spoke with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi Tuesday for the third time in 24 hours as Secretary of State Clinton heads to the region, according to a White House pool report.

“It was an opportunity for them to continue the discussions they’ve been having and to speak in advance of Secretary Clinton’s arrival in the region,” Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes told reporters. “President Obama underscored once again the importance of working for a de-escalation to the conflict in Gaza. He commended President Morsi’s efforts to pursue a de-escalation. And he also underscored that President Morsi’s efforts reinforce the important role that President Morsi and Egypt play on behalf of regional security and the pursuit of broader peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.”
THERE IS MORE.

– – -A –CALMING PERIOD>/b> – – -is anticipated in 24 hours.– –

MEDIA ALERT: – -Pres. SHIMON PEREZ – -was on.

[Callin’ 4 negotiations. – –Telling that NO ONE can sustain these kinds of attacks.]

In the wake of President Obama’s re-election, a few restaurant chains raised eyebrows by making threats related to the Affordable Care Act. An Applebees franchise owner, for example, vowed to stop building and hiring because of the health-care law.

But it was Denny’s franchise owner John Metz who caused the biggest stir, publicly declaring his intention to impose a 5 percent surcharge on customers at his 30 Denny’s outlets to offset “Obamacare” costs. “Customers have two choices: They can either pay it and tip 15 or 20 percent, or if they really feel so inclined, they can reduce the amount of tip they give to the server,” Metz said.

The backlash didn’t take long. Denny’s diners, including many that aren’t owned by Metz, immediately saw a drop in sales, and were inundated with phone calls from angry customers. With other franchise owners panicking due to boycott threats, the corporate office is in damage-control mode.

Denny’s chief executive John Miller privately reached out to Metz to express his “disappointment” with the Florida franchisee’s controversial statements about Obamacare, which sparked a wave of backlash for the national restaurant chain over the past few days. Metz released a statement Monday night expressing “regret” over his statements.

“We recognize his right to speak on issues, but registered our disappointment that his comments have been interpreted as the company’s position,” Miller said in an email to The Huffington Post